EA has officially destroyed the legacy of Sims. Not surprised. Nothing that company touches turns into gold — and if it is gold, it's gold plated caca.
The Sims 4 has had long term bugs, lackluster DLC packs, and constant updates that fix nothing. The real betrayal came when EA, a franchise historically known for its inclusive environment and LGBTQ+ representation, was sold to people who don't share those values. In a $55 billion leveraged buyout, EA was acquired by a consortium consisting of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, US private equity firm Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners. Saudi Arabia a country where being LGBTQ+ is criminalized.
Let that sink in.
If that wasn't enough, EA recently decided to put the final nail in the Sims legacy; ads. You read that right. EA has officially launched an in-game advertisements department. EA says their ads are designed to "enhance, not disrupt, the player experience." That's the language every exploitative company uses. EA is Amazon with a build mode. Amazon said convenience "adds value." EA says ads "add value." Same script, different product both gold plated caca. A spit in the face to maxis
EA had the blueprint for authentic collaboration, For example in 2007 The Sims 2: did a groundbreaking expansion collaboration with H&M. The pack included exact replicas of real-world H&M clothing, accessories for men and women, alongside retail-themed decor items. Not to mention the IKEA collaboration in 2008, which included a stuff pack that allowed players to design trendy, budget-friendly living spaces using virtual versions of real-world IKEA items.
If I was in charge of the sims 4 I would’ve suggested collaborations with popular paint brands such as Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, Behr, Valspar, and PPG. Furniture collaborations with REAL furniture designers, expanded their fashion collaborations; remember they did a Moschino pack, I would’ve branched out to Vivienne Westwood, Betsey Johnson. Remember the Makeup collaborations with M.A.C? Take it up a notch add in game Sephora/Ulta store locations, a lush cosmetics stuff pack.
Actually I would’ve taken sims to a whole new level, with series collaborations. The Netflix series Big Mouth could’ve been innovative for the sims, imagine your teen sim with a hormone monster. Or a Vampire diaries/Teen wolf collaboration for the vampire and werewolf pack. Hybrid occult options, animal companions for witches, and why is there no Atlantis underwater map for mermaids.
Better yet imagine not relying on the multiplayer mod, remember The Sims Online (2002):A MMORPG where thousands of players occupied massive shared neighborhoods. You could build properties together, get communal jobs like making pizza, and chat in real time. I’m not asking for a full blown open world lobby like Grand theft auto, However it would be nice to play with friends at least.
Instead of using IMAGINATION vs laziness, EA took the lazy, repetitive, capitalistic route to generate more revenue for a a buggy game that cost $4000 if you owned every single pack up until now; keep in mind the sims 4 heavily relies on modded content and CC creators to keep players engaged. Now let’s take a look at their launch partners; Visa, Lowe's, Red Bull, Mountain Dew. None of those serve the Sims audience. Those are EA SPORTS brands being shoehorned into a completely different game. Per usual companies are choosing lazy revenue over genuine innovation.
I’m not done tearing them a new one, in the hands of someone like me, if I was told to make magic out of Visa, Lowe's, Red Bull, Mountain Dew. Here’s my plan; Visa credit card interactions, sim identity theft gameplay, Imagine your sim getting a fraud alert call! Red Bull & mountain dew in the grocery store, Sims has a delivery service for groceries a great way to implement soda brands. That’s real Integration, Brands becoming part of the world instead of interrupting it. That's exactly what Maxis used to do. I came up with it in 30 seconds. EA has an entire "advertising department" and the solution was a billboard machine for sports games….
Indie studios can't afford the infrastructure, modders aren't trained in core engine development. So no, we can't just fire EA and replace them, As much as we want to. But here's what we CAN do; stop funding them! No new packs, No in-game purchases, No engagement with EA Advertising brand partners. Mod creators & CC creators, and the players have been keeping this buggy, overpriced game alive for years. Now we let it die! It’s up to us to put them in their place, we have the real power. Your money is a vote.